The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Phlox plant, botanically known as Phlox paniculata, and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Empty Feelingsxe2x80x99.
The new Phlox is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the Phlox paniculata cultivar Popeye, not patented. The new Phlox was discovered by the Inventor in a controlled environment in Den Hoorn, The Netherlands, within a population of plants of xe2x80x98Popeyexe2x80x99. The selection of this new Phlox was based on its lack of typical Phlox flowers. Plants of the cultivar Popeye have typical Phlox flowers whereas plants of the new Phlox do not have typical Phlox flowers and only produce clusters of bract-like structures.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by vegetative cuttings taken at Den Hoorn, The Netherlands since May, 1999, has shown that the unique features of this new Phlox are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
Plants of the cultivar Empty Feelings have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity, daylength, and fertilizer rate without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Empty Feelingsxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Empty Feelingsxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Plants of the new Phlox have an upright plant habit.
2. Plants of the new Phlox have dark green leaves.
3. Inflorescences of plants of the new Phlox do not have typical Phlox flowers with corollas, calyces and reproductive structures; instead inflorescences of plants of the new Phlox consist of clusters of dark red bract-like structures.